1 week postop open roux-en-y REVERSAL

Sep 14, 2010

Unfortunately for me while I knew having a reversal would be invasive, I didn't quite know how much so because I ended up getting admitted at the end of July when I had my appointment to discuss my reversal so by the time I got discharged and on the schedule, I didn't know what really to expect because there isn't that much information on the internet of what to expect.
         Bowel prep was similar to having my rny almost 9 years ago. Because it was lap, and my reversal was open didn't know what much to expect having surgery open. I wouldn't change anything I can tell you it hurts like hell still although my incision isn't as large as I thought it would be it from chest to top of my belly button. Because I am one of those rare reversal cases where I am malnourished but not underweight and I have a lot of visceral fat, I not only have pain from the surgery internally but the incision hurts like hell. No staples thank god for dermabond... I spent most of the time in the hospital which I was in for 6 days up wandering around(my hospital actually allows you to leave the floor/building to go outside and smoke, and I am stupid enough to do that starting 8 hours post op and I was in surgery for 5 hours, one of my not so brilliant moves but then I am the patient from hell, well the nurses and actually the residents this time normally love me because as whiny as I am, I am just so darn spunky and funny......
          I had an NG tube from Tuesday to Saturday they however would not let me drink anything until the next day. Cause I am not so compliant plus I am zipping around the hospital most of the time bat shit crazy from the pain, I kinda found something to drink and eat(which you aren't allowed to do for 2 weeks after surgery, eating that is, its liquids only) I was compliant til the NG tube came out, then they said I still couldn't drink anything til the next day that's probably why I lost it and was on the liquid and food search which isn't that hard in a hospital as big as the University of Minnesota. Having NG tube for me  was  like having a rubber diaper stuck up your nose, a knife in your ear and sanddpaper rubbing up and down my throat. Because in a compazene coma at the end of June when I was in the hospital I had something irritating my arm and ripped it out and it was my iv, and I kind of got blood everywhere, part of me was afraid to sleep because I was afraid I would yank out all my tubing. Coming out of surgery I had the NG tube, iv's, cath, oximeter gauge taped to my finger and neumo boots. Because I am a wanderer I got to lose the boots 10 hours after my surgery as it was obvious I wasn't gonna throw a clot from being inactive (i still had to have a daily shot of lovenox, in my stomach because I apparently my stomach hadn't gone through enough trauma(actually that's where they have to do the shots, if ya cant tell I am kinda of a drama queen.)
        They discharged me yesterday, because of my doing "so well". I dont know how well you could define that as I was blowing iv's everyday, and by yesterday they couldn't get another iv in me or get blood from me I was that dehydrated, I however being as non compliant as I am, was more of a liability to them in the hospital then not. I have a lot of spunk though as whiny as I am, I knew pretty much when I was at the risk of collapsing because sure enough everytime I laid down, I was out for a couple of hours... I started getting really sick from the dilaudid 2days post op, first 24 hours was just itching everywhere (i dont break into hives when having an allergic reaction) Benadryl didn't work and neither did Vistril. Then the migraines and nausea(never threw up though at times I thought I would )my body just wouldn't let me_ were so bad until yesterday. Because I metabolize pain medication the few I can take so strangely it is very hard to do pain management on me, I ended up getting so sick on Dilaudid that I should have been on Morphine which makes me really sick right away though. They basically sent me home with a bottle of liquid vicodin and a good luck....
        Yesterday and Today because I am at home and I live alone, I have been more low key, as its one thing to risk collapsing on a hospital campus vs in my apt or on the grounds of where I live. Because prior to my surgery it was impossible with the ulcers to absorb and metabolize medications and nutrients, I was malnourished even with such a large weight gain, that as much pain as I am in, I look at it as the means to an end that I won't always feel this bad because unfortunately the last 6 years I am all used to abdominal pain,fibro, chronic pain syndrome and migraines.I am lucky though, for as much pain as I have been in, I am not catastrophically ill but I was detoriating mentally and physically to the point where having a reversal was not an option but a necessity to save my life. I can only hope that it will going forward and improve the qualify of it, I don't expect the reversal to undo decades of damage to myself.
          I am this honest for a lot of reasons, I am not the most compliant patient in the world obviously, and most people aren't as hardcore as I am. I have obviously a foundation now for being anti-wls and anti dieting and a size acceptance advocate. Because I am seeing a lot of patients with rny,bpd and ds with auto immune and neurological disorders in addition to digestive issues  is why I am becoming an "armchair advocate" on the dangers wls, especially the ones that cause malabsorbtion. I don't know much about the sleeve, it kinda of scares me and I have gotten in fights with sleevers on my concern that it isn't reversable, at least the lap band has risks (as my roomate the 1st night in the hospital she was there to have her band taken off as it would keep slipping and it started adhering to her liver, my reversal of the rny was much more invasive though, she had she had not health issues could have gone home the same day) but it doesnt have the malabsorbtion factor and it is reversable unlike the sleeve where i think they remove like 85% of your stomach...What scares me is the sleeve is being used initially as part of 2 part surgical process on the super morbidly obese, who may not be able to withstand a rny initially, I havent been able to research that much data on patients with complications but part of the reason for that may be its because its so new.
                 I don't fault anyone for wanting to have wls, nor is it the easy way out. One of my best friends is a graduate rny post op who has kept off 100% of her excess weight with some issues but otherwise has  no regrets,and feels its the best thing to happen to her  and more power to her, I respect her and anyone's right to feel that way, I don't say what I do out of jealous, I got thinner then most people did without plastics and I have lost over half of the regain this year without dieting. I however have not met a graduate post op without any complications, any crossaddictions and or moderate to major weight gain. So if you are thinking about the surgery think very carefully. Some do beautifully who have the traditional comorbidities of obesity, sleep apnea, diabetes and high blood pressure. But a lot of us have it because we hate being fat in a world that hates us being fat. And we run the risk of ending up with complications after surgery that are greater than untreated obesity. No one is posting before and afters of their cholestrol levels they are posting of what they look like, which it's ok to want to look and feel your best. Just realize with weight loss surgery you can end up with complications that your body such as in my case can't be treated with conventional medications. Did I play a part in my ending up this sick, yeah. But that's like saying to someone with lung cancer who smoked "well ya deserved it". I am not expecting violins and roses when people here my story, but at least appreciate the time and effort and the concern behind it.

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